Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As I thought about this issue, I turned over in my mind the name ‘Mike Kaiser’. I thought to myself, ‘Where have I heard that name in another context?’ I am aware of a man named Mike Kaiser who has recently been appointed to a $450,000 role as the head of government relations for a company called NBN Co.—a 100 per cent government owned company, which apparently needs to pay somebody $450,000 to manage relations with its 100 per cent shareholder.

I thought to myself, it cannot possibly be correct that this person who has been named in the Shepherdson inquiry—an investigation into electoral fraud—could be the same Mike Kaiser whom the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, thinks is appropriate to be appointed to this $450,000 job in the 100 per cent government owned NBN Co. But to my great surprise—and I do confess my naivety as a recently arrived member of this House—it was the very same Mike Kaiser. I do wonder what his qualifications for the job are, because they clearly must be substantial if they are to be weighed in the balance against this significant blemish.

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